The Strawberry Festival is a annual event filled with entertainment, food, artisans and strawberry shortcakes!
Our festival grows every year and manages to keep its small town country flavor boasting 20,000+ visitors each year
2017 SOUTH BERWICK’s 42nd Annual STRAWBERRY FESTIVAL - PRESS RELEASE Notes
Always the last Saturday in June, this year the festival will be on 24 June 2017 The South Berwick Strawberry Festival officially kicks off summer for this quaint, southern Maine town of South Berwick. All over town one can see the bright red, white, and green strawberry flags that not only line the main streets, but can also be seen flying from many houses. The day is filled with food, entertainment, games, and crafts.
For forty-two consecutive years, hundreds of volunteers from the community of South Berwick, have come together for this locale centered tradition. As always, official Festival activities will take place only within the boundaries of Central School, located on Main Street, in the center of town. A stop at the Strawberry Festival Information Booth is a must-do, to find out more about the day’s schedules for the multiple entertainment venues, locations of crafters and non-profit organizations booths, as well as the various activities throughout the fair grounds. At the information booth you can also purchase the official strawberry festival T-shirts.
After months of planning and coordination the preparation for the festival shifts into high gear with the preparation of the strawberries on Friday, when the morning before the Festival at the Community Center, where over a hundred and fifty volunteers get together for a good old fashioned berry social to hull, slice, and sugar the berries. Early Saturday morning as smells of a pancake breakfast drift through the air, craft vendors setup their booths, grills get fired up and strawberry tent volunteers slice the biscuits, and move everything under the Strawberry Shortcake serving tent so all will be ready when the Festival vendors officially open @ 9:00 am.
Strawberry Tent, Food and Entertainment
Strawberry shortcakes have always been a favorite of the Festival and the order line typically wends across the front lawn of Central school. The volunteer staff will begin serving at 9:00am and continue until we run out of supplies. We will prepare and serve over 250 cases of fresh strawberries, 70 gallons of freshly whipped cream, 300 dozen biscuits and 60 luscious cheesecakes.
The greater portion of the courtyard is ringed by a huge section of food booths offering items such as fruit cups and smoothies, hamburgers, hot dogs, fries and cold drinks, fried dough, lobster rolls, and entire BBQ chicken meals. In addition to shortcakes and cheesecakes There will be a community pancake breakfast from @ 6:00 – 10:00
Food items are prepared and sold by local non-profit groups that include The Fire Department, Knights of Columbus, Military Veterans, Masons, Rotarians, local student groups and other non-profit organizations from the community. Front and back stages present Entertainers that draw crowds as varied acts perform a mix of folk music, jazz, rock, and dancing.
Old Fashion Trolley rides.
Transportation between overflow parking lots and the Festival grounds is FREE via an old fashion trolley ride. Running @ every 20 mins, from 9 a.m. till 3 p.m. the trolleys will provide free transportation to the Festival from parking locations at Marshwood Great Works School on Rt 236, Community Center on Norton St, Powder House Hill, and Our Lady of the Angels Church Parking lot at 162 Agamenticus road.
Road Race
For early risers local activities begin @ 8:00 am, with a pancake breakfast and a 5 mile Road Race and 2.5 mile Fun Walk, sponsored by the South Berwick Recreation Department and local businesses, that kicks off from the Marshwood Middle School on Academy St.
Crafters
Over 90 juried artisans will be on hand to display and sell their hand-made wares, including clothing, pottery, wood products, jewelry, paintings, photographs, candles, jams and dips, furniture, chocolates, fudge and much, much more. These crafters will be located both at the side of and in front of Central School.
Remember be kind to your pets and have them stay in the coolness of your home.
Web Site
You can visit us at our website at southberwickstrawberryfestival.com to volunteer for the day of the Festival or Hulling day the Friday before the Festival
South Berwick Strawberry Festival
Come join us @ Our 43rd Annual Crafts, Food, and Fun Extravaganza
We look forward to seeing you again this year:
Saturday - June 30, 2018
The South Berwick Strawberry Festival
Is Located on Central School grounds
197 Main Street, South Berwick, ME 03908
next to Dunkin Donuts
Calling all volunteers!
If you would like to be a part of this year's festival, please call us anytime.
207-384-2989
Thank you!
We have Food, Fun and thousands of unique items handcrafted by Local Artisans.
Free entertainment, Games for the kids, Trolley Rides about Town, many varied food vendors and uncounted plates of strawberry shortcake to satisfy your taste buds while browsing Artisans crafts and creations or listening to entertainers.
Festival raised funds are dispersed through a grant system to local community non-profit groups.
Festival Free Parking and Trolley Stop locations:
Agamenticus Street – Powder House Hill Parking lot (Rt 4 to Agamenticus Rd.)
Our Lady of Angels Catholic Church, 162 Agamenticus Rd (until 3:00 only due to 3:30 services)
Community Center - public parking on Norton Street
Corner of Norton Street and Railroad Ave. - By Community Center in new Public Parking Lot
Marshwood Great Works School - 49 Academy St (off Rt. 236)
Town Hall – Handicap Parking only (no Trolley pickup)
How about joining the Team? We always welcome a hand, either on the committee, hulling or serving shortcake.
Please download this application if interested. (You must be a resident of the South Berwick/Eliot/Rollinsford community.)
